The great thing about going to a manufacturer sponsored event like Blogtour Milan is that you leave with an entirely new appreciation and wealth of knowledge about that manufacturers' product. This is the case with BLANCO, a family owned business since 1925 that produces sinks, faucets and accessories for the most elegant kitchens in the world.While in Milan, we made lots of new BLANCO friends, in particular Christy Emens who gracefully agreed to speak with us so that our readers can learn the scoop about BLANCOfirst hand.

K&K: What is your position at BLANCO and how long have you worked for the company?

Christy: Marketing Communications Manager. September marks 8 years working at BLANCO.

K&K: In Milan, we were introduced to the new ONE sink and the new ATTIKA sink. How many years go into R&D of these products before they are introduced to the market place? Where do the inspirations for the design come from?

Christy: It’s really not about a certain time frame when we design our products – to us, it’s most important that we spend the time needed to get it right. Our design team focuses on developing material technology, combined with inspiration that can be found in everyday life. Design and design leadership is truly a very important aspect of our culture as a company. We’re constantly looking ahead to anticipate trends, which allows us to create the unique, high-quality innovations and award winning designs that can only come from BLANCO.

K&K: I also love the Quatrus R15 collection. Do you think that Americans are learning that it's ok to incorporate contemporary kitchen products into a traditional home? How do you perceive the learning curve?

Christy:QUATRUS R15 offers contemporary style with a twist – it features that professional look which is so popular right now, but its softer 15mm radius makes the design a more comfortable partner for transitional or traditional homes. In fact, the professional-style QUATRUS collection was just listed as a top kitchen trend for 2014 by Freshomefor BobVila.com.

K&K: What is your best-selling sink and why?

Christy: We’re seeing the fastest growth with our new the ONE™ stainless steel collection. ONE™ reinforces the idea that a sink can be more than just a sink – it’s really a useful companion in the kitchen. The idea that you can customize your kitchen for your lifestyle is something we really see resonating as a trend right now.

ONE Super Single sink:

K&K: For me, it's a tough pick between the Silgranit and the Stainless Steel surfaces. Does one sell better than the other in different parts of the world?

Christy:Stainless steel is still a strong global market right now. Our SILGRANIT® sinks are a fantastic option to steel, as they allow color to become a personal touch in the kitchen – and they’re a great designer option!

K&K: We find that the designs we create for our clients are more valuable the more customized they are. Was this the same impetus for the color options of the BLANCO faucets?

Christy:At BLANCO, we feel that a touch of color is an elegant option for the kitchen – like in our ALTA™ COMPACT faucets, which combine our SILGRANIT colors with a chrome finish. Again, it’s the idea of customizing your kitchen, and adding color accents is a great way to achieve a customized look.

ALTA COMPACT Faucet in white/chrome mix:

7. Being a color fanatic, I LOVE the fact that BLANCO has a color app. Tell us about it. The SILGRANIT® II color appallows you to match various countertop materials with our colorful SILGRANIT II sinks. You can even take pictures of your own countertop selections and save them into the app. We recently launched an updated version of the app which includes even more countertop options, including the new DEKTON material by Cosentino. You can find it for free on iTunes for Apple and on Google Play for Android devices.

K&K: Let's talk about some more serious subject matter - While you were in Milan, what was your favorite gelato flavor? Christy:That’s a difficult choice, but pistachio was the best!

K&K: Standing on your feet all day at Salone del Mobile, which shoe brand gave you the most comfort?

Christy:My suede Via Spiga wedges. Although I should have purchased a pair of the cute designer sneakers all of the Italians were so elegantly rocking! (We agree Christy!)

K&K: Ok, back to work - can you give us any scoop on what's in the pipeline for BLANCO?

Christy:In the coming year, we will continue to focus on the concept of personalization and innovative ways to carry on the trend of the sink as a companion in the kitchen.

Thank you Christy for spending time with us at all the wonderful BLANCO events in Milan. We are BIG fans of BLANCO and look forward to highlighting the BLANCO brand in our design work.

Grazi!

Kelly

P.S. To see more great BLANCO products we spotted while in Milan, check out our Pinterest Board.

An Interview with BLANCO